Local sources in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, say that the Taliban are using pressure and force to compel people to purchase the group’s white flag and install it on their shops and homes.
Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Thursday, August 13, that the Taliban had warned people that they must purchase the group’s flag and install it on their shops.
According to a source, a resident who said he could not afford to buy a flag was beaten by Taliban members.
The sources added that the Taliban had also asked people to paint trees and some areas around their homes white.
Previously, sources in Kandahar and Helmand provinces had also confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the Taliban had asked people to install the group’s white flag on their shops and workplaces before August 15.
Under the order, shop and workplace owners must also install the Taliban’s white flag.
The sources added that the Taliban had threatened people with the closure of their shops and workplaces if they failed to comply.
This comes as many people in Afghanistan are struggling with poverty, unemployment, and economic hardships and cannot afford to meet their basic living needs.
